


Anchor

by OnlyHereForGallavich (orphan_account)



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: A/B/O, Abuse, Alpha!Ian, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Bonds, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gallavich, Governments, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Omega!Mickey, Protective!Ian, Protective!Mickey, Soulmates, experimention, hurt!mickey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-10-29 02:32:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10844661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/OnlyHereForGallavich
Summary: “Anchor onto me, love.”Ian and Mickey are bonded and in love. But when Lip and Mandy are seized for experimentation by the government, they volunteer in order to help them; never realizing how bad it could get.





	1. Hidden

**Author's Note:**

> soo I basically had one a/b/o scene in mind and it translated into a nine thousand word fic oops.
> 
> i've written the whole thing, but since i'm evil i'm not posting it all at once :))
> 
> enjoy xx
> 
> (p.s. Wonderwall update soon)
> 
> (p.p.s Story title from Anchor, by NOVO AMOR

  1. **Hidden**



_“So I keep down below, who you are, who you are, to me. You’re still my favourite thing in the world.”_

   When Mickey Milkovich met Ian Gallagher for the first time, they were fifteen and seventeen respectively. Their paths had most likely crossed before, seeing as they had grown up two streets away from each other and gone to the same school. But their lives had been parallel to each other’s; passing by each other without a glance and existing in circles that were so close, yet always too far from the other. Even when Mandy had come home grinning about her new ginger boy-toy, Mickey had ignored her as usual and rolled her eyes at his pliable sister; a girl who fell in and out of love like she was changing her clothes.

 

    It wasn't until he was seventeen that the supermarket down his street closed down, and the Kash ‘n’ Grab became Mickey’s new target. And with Kash ‘n’ Grab came Ian Gallagher, with his ginger hair and freckles and fucking Alpha hormones that left Mickey sleeping on the street so his dad didn't scent the Omega in him acting up. He didn't mind. Sleeping on the street, next to addicts and homeless people, was something he had done on numerous occasions just to escape the hell of his home. At least seeing Ian Gallagher and feeling the strange cocktail of nervousness and arousal in his stomach was a better reason; even if shame and guilt followed soon after. Mickey was a gay, male Omega. Everything his father hated, all in one. It was as if he was _begging_ his father to put a bullet through his head, just by existing.

 

    Stealing the gun and beating the shit out of the weak beta behind the counter had been an impulsive decision; one born in his mind after smelling Ian on the beta’s skin had flooded him with jealousy over someone that wasn't his; not in any way. Definitely not in the way he wanted. Mickey didn't know how to react to this strange new feeling. He had never really been _possessive._ The most he had fought for something was the TV remote or gaming console at home. Things didn't _mean_ much to him; how could they, growing up somewhere where every breath he took felt like he was living on borrowed time? He wasn't sure how to feel about wanting something to be _his._ He definitely wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that _Ian_ was the first thing he wanted for himself.

 

   Mickey didn't know how to deal, so he didn’t. He reacted the way a Milkovich would; with violence. It wasn't hard. Mickey had had a lifetime of pretending to be an Alpha behind him. He could punch an Alpha with one the slightest bit of _wrongness_ touching him. It wasn't hard to hit a cowering beta. No one would even question him. The Milkovich’s were infamous in their neighbourhood; the house which held dark secrets and monsters that protected them by any means necessary. Mickey doubted he would retain his fearsome reputation if the fact that he was an Omega came out. That wasn’t an option. So he stayed doped up on pills to cover up his scent; no Alpha fucked him, and no Alpha fucked _with_ him. He spent his heats alone in a crappy motel room, trying to pretend that that would be enough for him for the rest of his life. He had almost convinced himself.

 

   Until Ian Gallagher walked into his room with his anger-heightened pheromones and red hair and freckles and wide eyes when he realised that the aroused Omega in the house wasn't some random girl in the Milkovich house, but Mickey himself.

 

   It took years, and years of fucking around and pretending that was all he wanted till Mickey could let Ian hold him through the night and mark him like he was his own. He had heard of soulmate bonds before; the kind of bond an Alpha and Omega had that transcended the usual mating bite bond. Ian would tease him about them being soulmates, to which Mickey would always respond with a firm, “Fuck you.” Until one day, months later, Terry beat the fuck out of Mickey after finding his pills and Ian showed up at his door, red faced and in an Alpha rage stronger than anything Mickey had ever seen. Ian had _known,_ in some intrinsic part of his being, that Mickey was hurt and to an Alpha, there was nothing worse than their Omega being in pain and out of their reach. That unspoken, almost telepathic connection was one only soulmate pairs had been known to have. That night had ended with Ian and Mickey standing against Terry, and winning. Terry ended up in jail for Omega harassment, and although it wasn't a permanent solution, it gave Mickey the push he needed to give himself to Ian the way he had always wanted, but had never had the opportunity to.


	2. Free

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay I'll be nice and give you guys two chapters instead of just one :)

  1. **Free**



_“I built a home; for you, for me.”_

 

    He hadn’t fought Ian when the Alpha had cleaned him up that night and licked his wounds in the literal way that made him embody the Omega had always fought so hard against being. He hadn’t fought him when, three days later, Ian had suggested they go for an appointment with a counsellor who specialised in identifying soulmate bonds. When they had walked out with the fact that they were soulmates documented in the papers they were given, he hadn’t freaked out or run away the way he once might have. When Ian told him he loved him, Mickey hadn’t squirmed or told him to _shut the fuck up._ He had stroked his Alpha’s hair and presented his neck slightly, before returning the sentiment so quietly that he wasn't sure if Ian even _heard_ him. The next time Mickey went into heat, it had ended with Ian sinking his teeth into Mickey’s neck, and him being Ian’s and Ian being _his,_ the way he had always wanted.

 

   It was perfect. They were in love. And they were finally safe.

 

 

///

 

 

   Then, things began changing. Soul mate bonds were getting rarer by the day, and every morning there was at least one sociologist on the news theorising as to why. The dwindling Omega population, low rate of pregnancies, people prioritising other things over bonding and family. Out of the people the boys knew, there were only two soul mate bonded couples; Lip and Mandy, and the two themselves. Fiona had thought she had found her mate in Jimmy/Steve, but all the drama that had followed quickly changed her mind. Mates couldn’t hurt their partner the way Jimmy/Steve had hurt her. She saw the example in her little brothers and their mates. Both couples would give their lives for their mate. It wasn’t viewed as a selfless gesture; just the basic response. It wasn’t a question of bravery, but of protecting the person who meant more to you than your own life.

 

    But the deteriorating number of soul mates found in the world was an issue the whole world was surveying with bated breaths. The government decided to step in with researches that sounded innocent, but were much less than so. They advertised volunteering for the researches everywhere; even in the South Side. The small amount they promised to pay won over more hunger-stricken couples than they cared to admit. Every time Mickey and Ian saw the _‘Are you and your mate soulmates? Volunteer to serve your country today at your nearest hospital!’_ signs, they seemed to draw closer together. The thought of having their bond, near holy to them, examined and questioned by strangers was an unwelcome one. It was made worse by rumours. Rumours that they were experimenting on the bond itself. Any risk of that indelible tie between them being harmed drove both of them to primal rage.

 

    They thought they had a choice.

 

    They were wrong.

 

   The South Side was a prime target for the government. They figured it was easy, a place full of crack heads and alcoholics. Even if there _was_ a soul mated couple, they figured they would be easy to manipulate.  There were rumours about couples being snatched of the streets, taken from their homes. The government denied any connection, but it was pretty fucking obvious. But it didn’t make the news because it was the South Side and no one gave a single fuck about them.

 

   Lip and Mandy were at a street fight, bloodthirsty couple that they were, loudly betting and winning, when they disappeared. Not a trace. One moment there, and the next, gone. But those bitches had made a mistake. Just because they were south side didn’t mean they didn’t have people who cared for them. Fiona called the boys nearly immediately, catching them when they were coming home from a movie. They were laughing, joking around, when Ian’s phone rang. Mickey listened to his Alpha’s angry responses, felt distress coursing through the bond and seeping Ian’s words. Ian filled him in the moment he got off the phone. Moments like these were when Ian saw even more clearly that his Omega wasn’t an ordinary one. Rage, primal, _Alpha_ rage, filled Mickey’s eyes as he snapped, “They fucked with the wrong family.”

 

   They went to the Gallagher house to regroup. It felt unlike home without Lip’s quips, Mandy’s bitchy greetings. “The fuck do we do,” Fiona snapped the moment the boys came in, red eyed and clearly worried. “It’s going to be okay, Fi,” Ian reached out to hug his sister lightly, while Mickey hung back and watched worriedly. Fiona knew Mickey wasn’t much of a hugger, but she was stressed enough to grab him to for a quick moment. Ian’s Alpha itched at him as per usual when another Alpha touched Mickey, though he knew it was stupid and it was his sister. “We’ll figure this shit out, okay?” Mickey patted her back awkwardly. “Fucking randomly taken! Off the fucking street!” Fiona ranted, pacing, “And I can’t do shit. They won’t tell me where they’ve taken them. I went up to the volunteering centre and they didn’t even let me in ‘cause I don’t have a fucking soulmate.” At that, both boys looked up and locked eyes. The only other soul mated couple they knew was gone. It fell on them to whatever they could to protect their siblings. They didn't like it, but it was something they had to do.

 

///

 

   They went to the volunteering centre. Instantly, panic saturated the bond. They had both avoided the place like it was the plague since it had open up. They unconsciously locked hands and Ian lightly nosed the bond mark once, before pushing the door open. A guard stopped them up front, placing a hand on Mickey’s chest. With his knuckle tats and attitude, most thought he was the Alpha in the relationship at first. Ian growled lightly, protective instincts increased in a high risk situation, to get the guard’s hands off his mate. “Only mated couples can volunteer.” The guard said, deadpan, but having taken his hand off. Mickey craned his neck just a bit to the side, practically presenting, much to Ian’s chagrin, so the guard could see the bond mark. Mickey glared at the guard for staring at him as hard as he did, snapped his neck straight again. “We’re not here to fucking volunteer. We’re here about another mated pair that went missing. Yesterday. Phillip Gallagher and Amanda Milkovich.” Immediately, the officer’s eyes closed off. “We do not have any information on them.” The abrupt, careless response made Ian’s blood boil. “Why don’t you check your fucking records before you say that,” He hissed, and the blatant threat in his voice made the officer tense up. “The volunteer project is classified. You want in, the sign-up sheet is right there.” He gestured to the desk behind him.

 

   The idea of it made the boys feel sick. But it was Lip and Mandy. They couldn’t do nothing while their siblings were in the same danger they were afraid of putting each other in. It took a couple of deep breaths, an understanding look between them, and Ian was saying, “Okay. We’ll do it.”


	3. Trapped

  1. **Trapped**



_“Because you’re mine, I walk the line.”_

   The boys scanned over the forms uneasily, looking through the contract that was much too long for them to actually catch any loopholes. The questions seemed straightforward enough _: how long have you been mated? How many partners did you have before mating? Have you had any sexual relations with individuals other than your mate since bonding?_ The boys knew these things; about themselves and each other. It didn’t seem devious at all, nothing too probing or seemingly dangerous.  But there was two conditions that made Ian shudder. He looked over at Mickey and realised his mate was surveying them uneasily too. _‘During the duration of the study, the mated pair will not be in contact with each other’_ and _‘this research is to be completely confidential. Any activities or outcomes that take place will not be revealed publically.’_ Both conditions seemed less than pleasant. Being without his mate for however long the research would take made Ian feel sick. Mickey and Ian hadn’t been apart since they had bonded, and he was not looking forward to it. But he reminded himself that everything he was afraid of was probably happening to his brother and best friend as he hesitated. That gave him the push he needed, and he signed the forms even as his Alpha seemed to shake its head disapprovingly as he did it.

 

   If Ian had to say one thing, _one_ thing positive about the government and their policies, at least they were prompt. Ian and Mickey had just finished filling in their forms when they were seized by the guards and separated forcefully. Ian had known that he and Mickey would be split up, but the sudden movement, the harsh hold on his arms and the rough Alphas grabbing at his mate had him growling and baring his teeth. Mickey tried to placate him with his eyes, even as he resisted against the hold the guards had on him. “Calm down, Ian,” he muttered under his breath, trying to calm him through the bond. It didn't exactly work, but it was effective enough to make Ian stop resisting. Ian hated it; he hated it already and they hadn’t even been apart yet. “I love you,” he whispered, feeling slightly nauseous at something so private to them being viewed by the dozens of guards around them, especially when they grinned lecherously at the words. _I love you, too,_ Mickey responded, mouthing the words instead of expressing them verbally. “It’s going to be okay,” was all he said out loud.

 

    Ian tried hard to believe him, especially when the guards dragged Mickey out of his sight. It didn't work as well as he had hoped. He tried to stay calm, but the thought of his Omega being alone, far from his protection made get worked up. He knew, logically, that Mickey could take care of himself, but his Alpha instincts refused to listen to reason. Ian’s skin grew warmer, eyes darker, as the thoughts of Mickey _hurt_ and _bleeding_ worked their way into his mind. He could barely feel his face, only remotely aware that he was baring his teeth and fighting the people holding him.

 

    He felt a prick on his neck, and then, nothing.

 

///

 

   When Ian woke up, he was in a bunk bed, the likes of which he had seen only in prison movies. (Ian had always hated them, but Mickey loved them and he never had the heart to refuse his Omega anything.) The walls were grey, with exposed concrete and bricks and no paint. The only source of light was a jarring white light in the hallway outside the room; and there were no windows, or doors anywhere. The lack of ventilation made him feel suffocating, but he was soon distracted by a familiar face above him. He sat up harshly, near-shouting, “Lip?! Holy fucking shit.” Despite the situation, and the aching loss of Mickey that bit at his chest, Ian was smiling at the fact that Lip seemed unharmed.

 

   But when he pulled back slightly, he saw that while Lip was physically okay, there was something in his eyes that both scared and confused Ian. “Lip? Is everything okay?” he wondered aloud, to which his brother responded by shaking his head slowly, almost numbly. Now, Ian was getting worried. He knew that being away from your bonded Omega could be harmful for the Alpha, especially in soulmate pairs. But a reaction like this seemed extreme, especially since he knew Lip and Mandy had been together just two days ago. Ian waited patiently, fighting his curiosity as best as he could. A few moments later, Lip quietly said, “I can’t feel her. I can’t feel her anymore.”

 

    Something cold and harsh grabbed hold of Ian’s heart at Lip’s words. It was worry for his brother, who seemed broken and weak in a way Ian had never seen him be. It was worry for Mandy, his best friend, who something _must_ have happened to. And it was fear for _his_ mate, who would most likely follow Mandy into the place where Lip had lost her to. Ian took a moment to pull on the bond, feeling for the vague presence of _Mickey_ that was always there in the back of his mind. He was glad that he could still sense Mickey’s presence, and that no hurt or pain seemed to be coming from his side. Ian had only gone into primal Alpha rage once, and it was when Mickey had been hurt. Ian had destroyed Terry for touching his Omega. He could only wonder what it would feel like to be saturated with that reach, but be trapped so he couldn’t help his tortured mate. The thought itself had him shuddering and shoving it out of his head.

 

    Satisfied with his assessment of his mate’s safety, he refocused on Lip. He placed a comforting hand between his brother’s shoulder blades, stroking the tense muscles rhythmically. “Since when?” he questioned. When Lip spoke again, his voice was weary, like even speaking was tiring him. “Yesterday night. Well, I assume it was night since it was lights out. S’not like they have any fucking windows or anything here. One moment she was there, and then I just...” his voice trailed off, becoming slightly hitched towards the end. “What if she’s... what if she’s fucking _dead?_ How am I supposed to... I can’t...” Lip continued, having to stop yet again. Ian shook his head automatically. “She’s not dead. She’s _not.”_ He insisted, “We’re going to get out of here, Lip. We’re going to help her.”

 

   After a few beats of silence, Lip seemed to actually realise what was happening. “Wait- what the fuck are you doing here?” he asked Ian, “You didn't... you didn't let them take Mickey did you?” The question felt like a punch to Ian’s chest. Because he _had_ and if Lip was so destroyed, their Omegas had to be in serious danger. The thought of Mickey at risk had all his Alpha instincts rising, all at once. “They don’t let us see the Omegas, but people here’ve been saying some crazy shit. That the government’s trying to break soul bonds, or trying to force soul bonds between bonded Omegas and their people.” 

 

    Ian was breathing hard, vivid visuals filling his mind. This time, it was Lip who tried comforting him. “ _Shit._ I shouldn’t have sprung that on you all at once. It’s gonna be okay, Ian. You said we’ll get out of here. We _will._ ”

 

   Slowly but steadily, Ian’s breathing steadied and his heart rate slowed. “How.” He pushed out through gritted teeth, “How do we get out of here?”

 

   Lip looked up at him with a devious glint in his eye that made him look like himself again.

 

///

 

   The ‘cafeteria’ was just another grey, dull room; but it gave Ian the first opportunity to see his fellow inmates. (Yes, if they were going to make this look like a prison, he was going to call them fucking prisoners.)

 

    There was a stereotype as to what an Alpha was meant to be. Male, tall, strong, brave, confident, and all that good stuff. As Ian looked at the people around him, his first thought was that he had never seen Alphas who looked so... defeated. There were all kinds of people in the room; male and female, white, black, Hispanic, Asian. They were tall, short, of varying body structures. The only thing they had in common was the crushed look in their eyes. Just looking at them sent chills across Ian’s skin. Lip led them to the food counter (healthy food like salad and bland chicken; good for maintaining the Alphas’ physical health) and then towards a table full of surly Alphas who looked like they _actually_ belonged in the prison escape movies Mickey so adored. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Ian wondered aloud, muttering as quietly as he could so Lip could still hear him.

 

   His words coincided with a sudden crash behind them. Both boys turned to look, as did the rest of the inmates. A male Alpha, tall and lanky, had dropped his tray and fallen against the counter with glazed eyes and a gaunt face. He looked like he was seeing _through_ the rest of them, and he was frozen like that for one, two heartbeats. No one seemed to breathe. Suddenly, the Alpha fell to the ground, writhing in silent agony. He clutched at his neck, mouth wide open, screaming a silent scream that Ian felt like he could hear nevertheless. Soon after, the guards marched up to the now sobbing Alpha, and lifted him forcefully, dragging him out of the room even after he screamed the word _no_ over and over again.

 

    The whole event had left Ian shaken to the bone. Mournful silence filled the room. “What just happened?” Ian asked Lip under his breath, even though some part of him already knew. “His Omega died.” Lip said simply, in the blunt way he always spoke. The quiet in the room was constant for a few minutes; every Alpha in the room had the exact same fear of experiencing what that destroyed Alpha just had. “It isn’t _right._ ” Lip insisted harshly, voice scratching against his throat. Ian nodded, and nodded, even as his eyes grew wide and wet with the thought of losing Mickey. “We have to get out of here.”

 

   This time, it was Lip’s turn to nod.

 

///

 

   Appearances weren’t everything. Ian soon learned this when the surly Alphas he had been so hesitant to associate with turned out to be the only ones willing to help him. Their leader, Alejandro, the scariest looking of them all, was actually an old school romantic who had given up his trust fund and comfortable place with his parents paying his bills so he could bond with a girl from the Southside. If nothing else, Ian could relate with every person at the table over the amount of affection and love that dripped into their voices whenever they spoke of their Omegas. Perhaps since they were all soul bonded Alphas; and their lovers had all been theirs before even _they_ knew it, just like Ian’s had.

 

    Soul bonds were becoming increasingly rare in society, which was why the government had started doing... whatever it was they were doing. Obviously, that didn't mean that those without soul bonds lived and died alone. It had become the norm to end up with a person of _your_ choice, instead of the choice that was already spelled out for you. Couples lived happy, fulfilling lives without soulmates, falling in love with their partners despite the fact that their souls were not irrevocable tied together. Ian couldn’t help but think, even if Mickey would label him sappy, that Mickey would have always been his choice, soul bond or not. Still, he was glad that that choice had never been presented to him. There was just something about being _meant_ to be with someone that seemed to _magnify_ their relationship somehow; make it bigger than just a couple in love.

 

    Having that love was a beautiful thing, something Ian realised once again profoundly as he surveyed the men and women around them; whose faces lit up as they spoke about _that one person_ who owned them, heart and soul. But losing that love, as the man earlier had so heart wrenchingly displayed, losing that love was the worst heartbreak anyone could ever feel. Soul bonded Alphas and Omegas never lived long after one of them had died; from what Ian had heard, the maximum had been a year or two. But even that year, that one year, would be waking up every morning wishing that you hadn’t; wishing that the night would have carried you away to where your fated had gone.

 

   Each person at the table was just as eager as he was to escape, with their Omegas. Apparently, Alejandro and his associates had been planning an escape for a while. As Ian listened to their intricate plan, he couldn’t help but remember the glee on Mickey’s face every time characters managed to break out of prison, and hoped that his Omega would be proud of him now. Knowing Mickey, the Omega was probably planning a getaway as they spoke. Ian just hoped he would be careful; he didn't want to experience that loss, not even for a day. He felt an overwhelming need to nuzzle the bond mark, kiss Mickey slow and love him hard the way he always did. Unfortunately, it wasn't always so easy.

 

   “The locks on the doors are magnetic,” Alejandro was explaining, “A simple jam and they won’t shut. The guards’ patrol is cyclic; and they cocky bastards have a habit of getting lazy. So getting out of our rooms is the easy part. It’s the cameras that’ll do us in. They’re motion detectors; fancy shit.” Lip’s head shot up, eager to be of use. “I can help with that. If I can just figure out where the cameras are powered from, I’m pretty sure I could disable them.” Alejandro nodded with a grin. “That won’t be tough. Assholes can’t resist the pull of cheap labour. They send Alphas who try to fight back on cleaning duty in the generator room. I’m willing to bet your cameras will be powered from there.” 

 

    Ian couldn’t help but grin as he watched their plan come together.

 

    But then something in his chest twisted, and suddenly, he couldn’t feel Mickey anymore.

 

///

 

   Ian was right. Mickey had been planning an escape of his own; only he didn't have any allies to count on. The Omegas were kept in solitary, tiny cells, and before the first day was out, Mickey found himself being led (forcefully) to a room somewhere in the depths of the building. He heard a shrill scream, then silence. He tried to put the jarring sound out of his mind. He rubbed the bond mark to seek some solace, nose dipping down to catch some of Ian’s scent, which always lingered on his clothes. He remembered too late that he had woken up in unfamiliar clothes that smelled too strongly of detergent and something sour, shuddering back from the scent as soon as he caught it. He wasn't sure what had happened to his old clothes, or who had changed him out of them. He didn't _want_ to know, and he pushed the thought out of his mind as he followed the uniformed guards through the increasingly dark hallways to a room that appeared in the middle of nowhere.

 

   When he entered, there was a woman waiting for him with a cruel smirk on her face. She had on a white coat, glasses, and the whole facade of a typical doctor. Mickey growled at the guards who tried to touch him, shirking away from then. He eventually relented, knowing that fighting back without a plan while he was all alone would get him nowhere. They led him to a chair, where he sat. When he felt them tie restraints around his wrists, he began struggling again. “What the _fu- get the fuck off me!”_ He yelled, trying to jerk free of the tight bands. Once his arms and legs were tied down, all he could do was watch in horror as she advanced closer to him. “Hello Mikhailo Milkovich,” she greeted pleasantly, like they met in the grocery store and not a government torture room. “What the fuck is this shit?” he questioned, sounding much less pleasant. “Oh, nothing,” she laughed, sickeningly sweet, moving her hand in a dismissive gesture, “Just a small rite of passage before you enter our facility.”

 

    It was only then that Mickey noticed the syringe in her hand, and began struggling against the restraints in earnest. “Hush,” she whispered, “It’s harmless. Just a little something to numb the bond. We’ve noticed Alphas can get rather... volatile when they can feel the experimentation on the Omegas we carry out.”

 

    Before he could react, she rushed forward, and stuck the needle in his neck. She pulled back and smiled. Mickey could only watch and shudder as his vision blurred and heartbeat hiccupped.

 

   He couldn’t feel Ian anymore.


	4. Agony

  1. **Agony**



_“Your tears, a sea for me to swim”_

    Ian may have freaked out a little when the bond had numbed and he could no longer feel Mickey’s presence in his mind. By a little, of course, he meant a lot. Enough that the Alphas had initially thought he had lost his Omega too. Lip, closest to him, twisted in his seat and asked Ian what had happened in a hushed tone of voice. Despite his panic, Ian had known that Mickey wasn't dead. He hadn’t felt it yet, that catastrophic pain the other Alpha had shown when he had lost his mate. The other Alphas had looked relieved, but Ian wasn't quite so soothed. Now, he had no idea what was happening to Mickey. Even if Mickey was hurting, _dying,_ Ian would remain completely oblivious. Apparently, this was something they did to all the Omegas before they began experimenting, hoping to keep the Alphas calm. It seemed to have the adverse effect; now Ian would just be tightly wound _all_ the time, and not just when he knew Mickey was in danger.

 

    Alejandro and his friends explained to Ian and Lip that the Alphas were given a relatively free reign here; their bonding was solidified by a bite; a bite that they could chose to bestow on anyone they wanted, as long as it was consensual. It was the _Omegas_ the government wanted to figure out, seeing as they were the receivers of the bond bite and the ones who would carry the strong progeny the government so desired. Gay couples were the ones dying out quickest in the facility, seeing as they would provide no children, and any attempt at bonding the gay Omegas with an Alpha of the opposite sex failed, and often led to Omega’s body rejecting the bond and dying. The Alphas never lasted for long after.

 

    The very thought of what Mickey could be going through at that exact moment had Ian simmering with rage, his appetite completely gone. They had to get out of there, and fast. The best thing about their ‘team’ was that they were all bonded Alphas, powerful and just as protective and angry as Ian was. The experimenters had fucked with the wrong group of people. If there was one thing they had been taught since they were children; it was that you didn't screw with an angry Alpha.

 

///

 

   Mickey was exhausted. He didn't know what the fuck they were doing to him, but he hadn’t eaten or slept in over twenty four hours and he was so _tired._ The blood they kept extracting from him definitely didn't help either. All he wanted was _home_ and _warmth_ and Ian’s strong body pressed against him, arm thrown over his side and breath fanning against his neck. Instead all he got were random pricks of the needle every now and then, and some kind of machine scanning him or some shit. It was uncomfortable, and Mickey had no idea what they were planning to do with his blood and scans, but he was just hoping Ian was okay and safe. The people working on him were like fucking robots or some shit. They didn't smile, they didn't flinch when he cursed at them; just white coat clad droids surrounding him and treating him like some kind of zoo animal.

 

    When the woman from earlier, the one who had numbed their bond (a feeling Mickey was still trying to get used to; not really succeeding) returned, he decided she was the one to direct his questions towards. “The fuck are you guys x-raying me for, lady?” he asked, trying to muster up as much angry energy as he could. She smiled again, in that creepy way of hers, before responding, “Don’t worry honey, nothing bad. We’re just going to use that as a reference to create a simulation for your Alpha. Ian, was it?” Mickey flinched at the use of the name, “The fuck do you mean, a simulation? If you hurt him, I’ll fucking kill you.” She cooed at him, like he was a mildly pissed puppy. “Aw, a protective Omega. Cute. Don’t worry, we won’t actually _touch_ him. We just want to figure out the level of grief and mourning an Alpha goes through on losing his Omega.”

 

    Mickey still wasn't sure what a _simulation_ was, but it sure as hell didn't sound good. He knew he had to get out of there. He hadn’t lost his Southside yet, so when one of the innumerable guards walked past him, he swiped the keycard hanging from his belt, and tucked it under his hospital issue pants. It was terrifying, having the thing on him, ready to be found out by one of the nurses. But the thought of Ian suffering was even worse.

 

///

 

    Ian’s sleep that night had been troubled, what with them injecting him with a ‘sleeping draft’ right before he went to bed. He figured he was so tired, he would have fallen asleep anyway, but he didn't protest. When he woke up, there were two guards outside his room, who called out, “Ian Gallagher?” He sat up blearily, the darkness making it hard to tell whether it was still too early to get up, or whether he was just exhausted. Either way, he sat up and walked up to them when they beckoned. It went against every Alpha bone in his body to obey when he didn't want to, but his Alpha seemed to be tired to, curled up in a dark corner of his mind. He got dressed, and then they led him to a room somewhere in a basement. The entire facility was silent and intimidating as he walked through it; he and he guards appeared to be the only ones awake.

 

    When he entered the room, there were two people waiting there. A woman, petite and underwhelming, smiling at him almost _too_ sweetly. And the second one made his heart jolt to a stop, and then race. “Mickey!” he cried, darting forward to touch his lover only to be stopped by the guards. His Alpha was wide awake now, high on the scent of his mate so close after so much time apart. But when he surveyed the scene again, something was very wrong. Mickey had tears- _tears-_ in his eyes, and he tied down with restraints. And the woman wasn't just standing there; she was holding a gun and pointing right at Mickey’s head. Ian couldn’t breathe. He _could not_ breathe.

 

   “Ian Gallagher, welcome. I’m sorry it had to come to this, but you understand why we’re doing this right? For the good of our country, and species. I’m sorry,” the woman’s voice was just as sickly sweet as her smile. Ian was just about to ask _sorry for what_ when a gunshot echoed in the room, grabbing Ian’s heart and ripping it right out of his chest.

 

    There wasn't a dramatic backward fall, seeing as Mickey was already lying down. There weren’t any romantic last words, Mickey was dead the moment the bullet hit him. There was nothing; only Mickey, spread eagle and wide eyed, gone from this world and out of Ian’s reach forever.

 

    Ian didn't slip into an Alpha rage. Something in him, deep within, just broke. Shattered. Cracked. “I...” he gasped out; air was being an asshole that refused to make its way down his throat. He wouldn’t mind, he reflected, he wouldn’t mind dying now. What purpose did he have anymore? He fell, dropping to his knees and surprising even himself. He sat, heavy as a stone for a few moments, numb and motionless. Then, by some call in his blood that always had and always would draw him to Mickey, he began crawling towards him. He probably looked pathetic, crawling on the floor, but who gave a shit? Mickey’s body was now placed on the floor, within his reach. Some part of Ian wondered when that had happened, but he didn’t care much about that either.

 

   He kneeled next to Mickey, inhaling his mate’s fading scent. It sent Ian into a near panic; he _couldn’t_ lose Mickey’s scent. It was his favourite scent in the world. Ian remembered the first time he had ever smelled the Omega on Mickey, and the peppermint and coffee smell had made him feel halfway dizzy. Mickey Milkovich didn't look like the kind of person who smelled like an overpriced Starbucks Christmas special, but he sure as hell did. He burrowed his nose into Mickey’s neck, trying to catch every inch of the scent he could. He paused when he came to their bondmark, and his eyes filled up with hot, stinging tears. He licked over it, kissing it over and over; Mickey loved that. “No,” Ian muttered into Mickey’s neck, “Please, Mick, _no.”_ Ian pressed into Mickey’s body until they felt like one person, still nosing at and licking the mark that was meant to bond them for life, and more. That was why marriage had been abandoned in favour of just bonding. Marriage meant vowing ‘till death do us part’. Bonding was _more_ than that; it was a bond that lasted through life and after death and throughout whatever would come after. That person was always yours, and you were always theirs. It was final, forever.

 

   It was hitting Ian now, the realisation. Till then, Ian had been in a strange trance of shock and denial. Now, he was realising that Mickey was lost to him forever; that he would one of those tortured, dying Alphas who had lost their Omegas and now received pity from everyone who looked at them. The tears in Ian’s eyes overflew and they seemed so _unsatisfying._ Crying was what you did when you lost your dream, or when you heard a sad story. This loss was _beyond_ tears; this loss was something that left you immobilised and empty. Ian Gallagher did not exist without Mickey Milkovich. It was as simple as that.

 

    Then he felt a guard try to pull him off Mickey’s, still warm, body. Ian kicked and fought and screamed. It took three guards to drag him off of Mickey, so he could watch uselessly as Mickey was dragged away from him forever. Ian was still screaming, choking on his spit and bile and tears.

 

   He didn't stop screaming as everyone left and he was left alone in the room.

 

   He didn't stop screaming as he banged on the door, demanding for Mickey to be given back to him; Mickey was _his_ and Mickey was _alive._

 

   He didn't stop screaming when he woke, cold, yet sweaty in an unfamiliar room.

 

    There was no blood, no bed, and no puke from where Ian had been sick.

 

     But the woman was there, the one who had shot Mickey. And Ian’s face was still covered in sweat and tears. Now, now the Alpha rage emerged. “You bitch!” he shouted, rushing forward to claw at this, still smiling, woman in front of him. He _hated_ her. He had never hated anyone more in his life.

 

    Once again, he was restrained. His Alpha was getting pretty fucking sick of that. “My mate- you killed my mate,” Ian sobbed, looking accusingly at her even as his face crumpled. “You killed my baby, my Mickey, you evil bitch.” The woman smiled gently, having the balls to look _gentle_ despite what Ian had just seen her do. “That was simply a simulation, Ian Gallagher. Your mate, I assure you, is alive and well. Well, he _is_ being... encouraged to procreate with a female Alpha, but otherwise all is well.”

 

    Ian wasn't sure what to internalise first; so much information had been thrown at him all at once. “A simulation? So Mick... he’s alive?” She nodded, and Ian felt like he could breathe again, even as he started crying in earnest yet again. “Why would you... why would you _do_ that? Why would you make me- I thought- oh _fuck._ ” His breaths were being released in gasps, even as he tried to hold them in. It was just so _cruel_ to make someone think they had lost their mate. The woman gave him a few moments, before explaining, “We want to study the grief patterns Alphas experience after losing their mates. Attempts to... _actually_ study this have resulted in the death of the Alpha soon after, so we were forced to resort to simulations.”

 

   It was only then that Ian recalled the second part of the woman’s sentence. “The fuck do you mean, _encouraged?!”_ he snapped. The idea of Mickey being forced to have sex with a female Alpha was wrong on so many levels. It wasn't even about his possessive Alpha nature; but the idea of Mickey being raped broke his fucking heart. “Don’t touch him. If you touch him, I’ll fucking kill you,” he shouted, hoping that she couldn’t hear the fear in his voice. “How cute,” she smiled, completely calm, “He said the same thing about you. No matter how much I support these experiments, it’s unfortunate so many soul bonds have had to be broken. There’s something so _sweet_ about them.”

 

   And with that, she left, leaving Ian behind to worry and be glad, all at the same time.


	5. Escape

  1. **Escape**



_“For your love, all you are, I’d start a riot.”_

     The female Alpha in front of Mickey was crying. She clearly didn't want this any more than he did.  Every now and then, her restraint would break and she would turn to begging _please, I’m bonded, I can’t._ Mickey watched in seemingly stoic silence as she spelled out everything he was feeling. They had received a speech on how they were helping _continue their species_ and their cause was _noble._ To Mickey, it just felt unnatural and wrong that they were trying to manipulate the most pure and true thing that existed in their piece of shit world. Soul bonds weren’t _experiments._ They weren’t tools in the hands of the powers to be to ensure they got stronger future generations and super soldiers. They weren’t so _logical._ They just were.

 

    After some coercing, especially to the Alpha, about hurting their mates, Mickey found himself facing a tall, Hispanic woman around his age, whose dark eyes still glinted with unshed tears. The experimenter left them alone, saying something about privacy and how bonds proved to be stronger when the pair was alone, and intimate. If he wasn't scared out of his mind, he would have cringed at the wording. Mickey scanned the room, but he could catch sight of any cameras. Maybe they were hidden? He decided to take a shot anyway and speak to the person in front of him for the first time. “I ain’t going to do this. I _have_ an Alpha. You have an Omega. We gotta get out of here.” She sniffed, nodding. “How?” she questioned.

 

    “I have a keycard,” he revealed, hoping to God she wasn't a rat.

 

   “A _what_?”  


 

    “A keycard. Swiped it off of one of the guards. We can use it to get the fuck out of here. But I ain’t leavin’ without my mate,” the last clause was the most important. He was sure how he was going to do it, but Mickey wasn't leaving this place without Ian. The Alpha nodded in understanding. “Of course; but how are we going to get them to open the door?” She seemed to think hard for a moment. “What if... what if I go feral? I mean, not really but pretend to?” Mickey thought about that for a bit. He’d only seen two Alphas going feral before and once it had ended with rape, and the next time with murder. _That_ would definitely send the experimenters running to save him, rare soul bonded commodity that he was. “We can do that. We get out, I’ll show you the way to the Omega quarters, and you show me the Alpha ones. Cool?” She nodded, firmly. “We have to...” she gestured between them awkwardly, “If I’m pretending to be feral.” He sighed, fighting down the slight nausea at the thought. Then he reached over and kissed her. Jesus, he really _was_ gay as hell.

 

   She deepened the kiss and his bond mark burned slightly, a not-so-subtle reminded to the Omega to stay loyal to their Alpha. It was five minutes, five awkward as fuck minutes of terrible kissing and only the slightest movement of their stiff bodies, before she decided to start up the act. She leaned back, eyes widening with an unhinged glint in them. She shoved him onto the bed, forcing him to present his neck. Mickey knew she was pretending, but his Omega was running in panicked circles, wanting to escape and return to the safety of its Alpha. Guards burst through the door just moments later, and the mad glint was now focussed on them instead of Mickey. Mickey and the girl stood side by side. They proved to be an effective team; what with her Alpha rage and his years of pretending to be one himself. The cocky experimenters had underestimated them; leaving only two guards outside their door because they thought no one would get past the external gate. Mickey produced the keycard, and he sighed in relief when it worked. He showed the female Alpha the way to the Omega quarters and just before she left, he said, “Amanda. Mandy Milkovich. Please, if you can find her, get her out.” The woman nodded. “I will. I won’t leave till I do. I owe you my mate’s life.” And _that,_ saving someone's mate, was the biggest thing anyone could do for another. There was no way this Alpha wouldn’t honor this promise. Mickey returned the sentiment, and then took off the way she had instructed him to.

 

///

 

    Lip and Ian had jointly been on generator room duty the day before, after Ian had scratched one of the guards across the face when he dared to talk about his reaction to the simulation. Ian wasn't quite sure what Lip had done, but he was pretty sure he had stolen the supervisor’s cigarettes. Lip had reworked some wires, muttering to him in gibberish he couldn’t quite understand, eventually concluding that the cameras would be down for twenty minutes in exactly three hours. That gave them enough time to tell the rest of the gang, and Ian was practically pissing himself for the excitement of seeing his mate again. Now, three hours later, there was complete chaos. Sirens were blaring left right and centre. News of their plan had gotten out to the general population of the facility, and now there was a near stampede of Alphas rushing towards the Omega quarters. Ian followed them, going with the flow, with Lip by his side.

 

    Suddenly, it hit him. That one scent; the one he knew better than any other in the world. Peppermint and coffee. Overpriced Starbucks Christmas special. _Mickey._

 

    Ian could smell him, but he couldn’t see him yet. The panic of that sparked him to move faster, shoving through the crowd, even forgetting the brother behind him. “Mickey!” he called out, trying to raise his voice above the noise, “Mick!” His breath came short, his heart was burning, until he heard Mickey’s distant voice calling, “Ian!” Ian let his primal instincts take over, and ran towards the voice, completely guided by his hearing. He even closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he had bumped into someone and that someone was too familiar and comfortable and _home_ to be anyone except for- “Mickey?” Ian cried, “ _Mick.”_ His voice sounded high pitched and hysterical even to his own ears as he cupped his mate’s face between his hands and pressed his nose against their bond mark. Mickey’s cheeks were wet, and Ian wiped away the waiting moisture. “I love you I love you I love you,” Mickey chanted into his ear, quiet and sweet.

 

    There were dozens of Alphas and Omegas running past them, happy reunions all around, but it was like they were the only two ones there. Ian traced Mickey’s features with his eyes. He had never realised how much watching Mickey _die_ had affected him, even if it was fake. Having his mate back in his arms felt like a dream, but a really, really good one. “I love you too,” he whispered, “I love you so much.” Suddenly, a hand roughly pulled Mickey from him. Ian growled, in full protective Alpha mode, but relaxed when he saw that it was Lip. “Mandy?” Lip asked Mickey desperately, and Ian could see himself just five minutes ago in his brother’s wide eyes. “I never saw her. They kept me alone but... she’ll get out, Lip. Someone told me they would.” Lip looked unconvinced, “Someone you trust?” Mickey seemed to think about that for a moment, but then nodded. “There ain’t any point in going there now. She's probably already out. She’d want you safe, man, you know she would.”  Ian watched Lip consider this; his primal Alpha fighting against his logical mind. Lip had always been a smart one, so he nodded. Ian was decidedly less smart and he was pretty sure that he wouldn’t have made such a logically sound decision in the same situation. They turned towards the exit, and soon made their way into the light for the first time in days. It burned Ian’s eyes at first, but when he saw the brilliance of Mickey’s blue eyes shining in the light, he forgot all about that.


	6. After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just a short epilogue, and thus ends this short fic x

  1. **After**



_“We all need someone to stay.”_

    It wasn't easy to fall back into the ease of their lives after everything. All the remaining soul mated pairs in the facility had made it out safely, including Mandy and Lip and the boys themselves. It took weeks before Ian’s Alpha instincts had died down enough for him to stop snapping at anyone who neared Mickey; even fucking Carl who was just reaching for the TV remote. Mickey had been patient with him, especially when Ian had had a terrible nightmare one night and told Mickey all about the simulation. He had cried, and cried like he would never stop. The memory of Mickey’s eyes, wide and unseeing, and his scent leaving the world haunted Ian all the time. So Mickey never snapped when Ian had held him a little too tight while they were crossing the street, when he stunk up Mickey’s car with Alpha pheromones after he had given a co-worker a ride, and slept next to him with his arm around him like an iron band around him every night.

 

    And Ian had been patient, when Mickey hadn’t wanted to do anything physical for a while. Yes, the Alpha in him wanted to hold Mickey down and mark him, but he understood when Mickey told him about how every touch made him feel like that girl was on top of him again. It had barely been anything, just a few kisses and light groping, but it made Mickey nauseas just to think about it. And when they _did_ make love after a week or two, Ian had opened up the bite mark yet again, and it felt like they were reinforcing their bond.

 

   The experimentation schemes exposed, with countless witnesses, the government claimed they had no idea what was happening and denied any connection of theirs with the experiments. Everyone knew that was a blatant lie, but taking on the United States government was something they couldn’t do. But they made sure the facilities all around the country. An Alice Roberts took the fall for it all; the sickly sweet woman the boys had come in contact during their tenure at the facility. The sight of her filled them with a strange mix of disgust and pleasure at her being caught. Countless tragic stories had also made it out of the hallowed halls of the facilities. Dozens of Alphas were trapped, having lost their Omegas to the experiments. They weren’t even glad to be saved; they were content just slowly wasting away, the loss of their soulmates having stolen the best parts of them.

 

    Ian could never sufficiently express just how grateful he was that he and Mickey, and their siblings, had emerged relatively unscathed. Every glance, every touch, and every word was worth so much more now that they had come so close to losing it all. And they would never forget the value of it all again.


End file.
